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Hide and Q (episode)
Q returns with a new test for the Enterprise. Can Commander Riker resist the power of the Q Continuum? Summary on the Enterprise bridge]] Teaser Having dropped off Troi's shuttlecraft at Starbase G-6, the is fortunately close to the Sigma III system, when its Federation colony transmits an urgent call for medical help. An accidental explosion has devastated a mining operation there. There are 504 colonists at the site. En route to the mining colony at warp 9.1, the Enterprise is trapped in Q's force field grid. Q appears on the bridge of the Enterprise, informing the bridge crew that the Q Continuum, after studying their recent contact with Humanity, are mostly impressed by them. Act One Q offers them the realization of "impossible dreams". Picard says that he will listen to Q's offer, following their rescue mission. Q, however, disagrees, and turns himself towards Riker, asking what he finds of Q's offer. Riker says that they do not have time for Q's "games." Q transports Riker, Data, La Forge, Yar, and Worf to a class M planetoid, appearing before them in the uniform of a Napoleonic marshal. The point of Q's game will be to stay alive, and the game will be completely unfair. Yar resists, and Q transports her back to the Enterprise, putting her in a "penalty box". He says, that if anyone else violates the rules of the game, he will be put in the penalty box, displacing Tasha into nothingness. Act Two Q, however, then appears before Yar and Picard on the Enterprise bridge, saying Yar's penalty is now over. While seated in the captain's chair, he makes a Starlog entry, explaining that the real intent of his game is to test whether the ship's first officer is worthy of the greatest gift the Q can offer. They make a bet: Picard's command against Q's keeping out of Humanity's path forever. Picard then confronts Q in his ready room. Q sits in his chair, reading one of Shakespeare's works. Picard asks why Q is demonstrating a "need" for Humans through this confrontation, instead of providing a simple, direct explanation, a statement of what he seeks. Q replies it is a pity Picard doesn't know the content of his own library. Because, as Q explains, how Humans respond to a game tells him more about them. Q proposes to quote some Hamlet for him. Picard refuses, and quotes him instead: "What a piece of work is man? How noble in reason? How infinite in faculty, in form, in moving, how express and admirable. In action, how like an angel; in apprehension, how like a god..." Q stands up from his chair, and responds that surely Picard doesn't see Humanity like that. Picard answers that he sees Humanity as one day becoming like that, and perhaps that is what the Q fear. Q, obviously irritated by Picard, then disappears. Meanwhile, down on the planetoid, Riker, Data and La Forge discuss the situation. Apparently, aliens dressed in 18th century French uniforms are heading their way, armed with ancient muskets. Data explains that muskets are inferior to their phasers. The muskets, however, turn out to have phaser power. Q, appearing as Data before Riker, tells him that he now has the power of the Q, and is able to transport his crewmates back to the ship. Act Three Back aboard Enterprise, all systems are again functioning, and the Q grid has disappeared. There is no sign anything happened, and no others noticed anything. Data, La Forge and Worf appear back on the bridge, where Picard explains to them Q has shown interest in their first officer. Back on the planetoid, Riker and Q discuss the powers Q has granted Riker. Interestingly, the rank insignia that Q now carries on his uniform is that of a Starfleet commander, implying they are now equals. Riker asks what Q wants from him. Q replies that the Continuum has granted them a gift, beyond all other gifts. He explains that, before Farpoint Station, they saw Humanity as savages only. However, they discovered instead that Humans are unusual creatures, in their own limited ways. He also states that since Humans are constantly evolving, they may become stronger than the Q one day. Riker rejects Q's powers, and Q disappears. The bridge crew, including Wesley Crusher, appear on the planetoid's surface again, while they are approached by the soldier creatures Q created. Only Riker's powers can save the crew now. He creates a grid around the soldiers, and transports the crew back to the Enterprise. Act Four The Enterprise, meanwhile, has arrived at the mining colony. In Picard's ready room, Riker guarantees Picard that he will be strong enough to not use the power of the Q. An away team beams down to the mining colony, and they find a small group of people seriously injured. They find a young child underneath some rocks. Dr. Crusher says it is too late, and that the child has died. Riker is faced with the dilemma of either bringing the child back to life or not. He says that he is prevented from doing so by a promise. Upon Riker's request, the senior staff, including Wesley, meets on the bridge. He explains that even though he has been granted unusual powers, he is not a monster, that he is still the same William Riker they know. Riker doubts that his decision not to save the child was right. Picard tries to convince Riker that the Q do not admire Humans, but that they have muddled Riker's mind. Q appears as a medieval monk on the bridge, claiming that Q can offer Riker a gift that goes beyond anything that his friends can offer him. Act Five Picard furiously asks Q why he takes on so many guises, "Have you no identity of your own!". Q retorts in a medieval way, "I forgive your blasphemy." Riker asks to give each of the senior staff something they'd most like. Dr. Crusher asks Wesley to leave with her. Riker, however; turns Wesley into a 10-year older man. He then turns to Data, offering to make him Human. Data declines, saying that it will never feel real to him. Riker then walks to La Forge, granting him his vision. La Forge also declines Riker's gift. Riker then creates a Klingon female as a mate for Worf. Worf, however; says that there is no place for the female in his life. Wesley also asks Riker to make him young again. It isn't until Q says "But it's easier, boy! Listen to Riker!" that Riker realizes his mistake. He admits he feels like a fool, and Picard comforts him by confirming that he should. Picard then walks up to Q, pulls off his hood and tells him to uphold their wager. Q stomps around the bridge, recalling no wager. Picard replies that his fellow Q will remember that because he failed to turn Riker, he'll promise to stay out of humanity's way forever. Thunder sounds on the Enterprise bridge, and Q is abruptly called back to the Continuum, screaming for a second chance. For the Enterprise crew, it is as if they had just returned from their rescue mission, like no time had passed in between. Data asks the captain how the Q can handle space and time so well, while they handle interactions with Humans so badly. Picard answers that they may one day learn that space and time are easier to handle. Log Entries * Captain's log, USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D), 2364 Memorable Quotes "Those aren't muskets!" : - Riker "Oh, your species is ''always suffering and dying." : - '''Q' "No one has ever offered to turn me into a god before." : - Riker "Oh for shame, Worf. Fairness is such a Human concept, think imaginatively! This game shall, in fact, be completely unfair!" "You've gone too far!" "Game penalty!" : - Q''' and '''Tasha Yar "I'm offering you a bright future." : - Q''' "Hear this, Picard, and reflect: 'All the galaxy's a stage.' ''" " 'World', not 'galaxy'; 'all the world's a stage.' ''" "''Oh, you know that one... well, if he was living now, he would have said 'galaxy.' ''" : - '''Q and Captain Picard "Let us pray...for understanding and for compassion." "Let us do no such damn thing!" : - Q''' (disguised as a monk) and '''Captain Picard "Worf, is this your idea of sex?" "This ''is sex. But I have no place for it in my life now!" : - '''Geordi La Forge' and Worf "Oh, thank you very much I'm gald you enjoyed it. Perhaps maybe a little... Hamlet?" "No. I know Hamlet. And what he might say with irony I say with conviction. "What a piece of work is man! How noble in reason! How infinite in faculty. In form, in moving, how express and admirable. In action, how like an angel. In apprehension, how like a god..."" "Surely you don't see your species like that do you?!" "I see us one day becoming that, Q. Is that what concerns you?" :- Q''' and '''Picard "But it's what you've always wanted Data, to become human." "Yes, sir. That is true. But I never wanted to compound one... illusion with another. It might be real to Q,... perhaps even you, sir. But it would never be so to me. Was it not one of the Captain's favourite authors who wrote, "This above all: to thine own self be true?" Sorry, Commander, I must decline." :- Riker and Data Background Information * Q's force field grid is stock footage from . This episode is the last time it appears in Star Trek, although it was mentioned in the finale . * This episode marks the first appearance of a Starfleet Admiral's uniform in Star Trek: The Next Generation although the dress uniform worn by Q was never seen again. An actual uniformed Admiral would not appear until , although Leonard McCoy did appear as a retired admiral in the pilot episode. * Marina Sirtis (Deanna Troi) does not appear in this episode. This is her first non-appearance. * The screenplay for the episode featured Deanna Troi which suggests that Marina Sirtis' non-availability was the reason for her non-appearance. Her lines were eventually cut from the episode and Picard's log entry explaining her absence was written for the beginning of the teaser. * The ready room conversation between Q and Picard references William Shakespeare's plays As You Like It, Hamlet, and Macbeth. * This is the first appearance of Q since . * The music played in the scenes involving aliens in French uniform uses La Marseillaise, which is the French national anthem. *The illusionary female Klingon seen in this episode is both the first Klingon besides Worf and the first female Klingon to appear on TNG. Apocrypha *The novel Q&A establishes that Q was sent by the Continuum to give Picard the power of the Q, as a test of humanity's ability to save the universe eventually, but Q disregarded their directive and gave the Q power to Riker. Video and DVD releases *Original UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video): Volume 5, catalogue number VHR 2396, . *As part of the UK VHS collection Star Trek: The Next Generation - Q Continuum: . *UK re-release (three-episode tapes, Paramount Home Entertainment): Volume 1.4, catalogue number VHR 4645, . *As part of the US VHS collection Star Trek: The Next Generation - Q Continuum: . *As part of the TNG Season 1 DVD collection. *As part of the Star Trek: Fan Collective - Q collection. Links and references Starring * Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard * Jonathan Frakes as Commander William T. Riker Also starring * LeVar Burton as Lt. Geordi La Forge * Denise Crosby as Lt. Tasha Yar * Michael Dorn as Lt. Worf * Gates McFadden as Doctor Beverly Crusher * Brent Spiner as Lt. Commander Data * Wil Wheaton as Wesley Crusher Guest Star * John de Lancie as Q Co-Stars * Elaine Nalee as Female Survivor * William A. Wallace as Wesley Crusher, age 25 Uncredited Co-Stars * James G. Becker as Youngblood * Darrell Burris as an operations division officer * Dexter Clay as an operations division officer * Jeffrey Deacon as a command division officer * Tim McCormack as Bennett * Lorine Mendell as Diana Giddings * Faith Minton as Klingon female * Unknown performers as ** Dead girl ** Eight survivors ** Engineering crewmember (voice) ** Female medical officer ** Nine musket-wielding aliens Stunt doubles * Unknown stunt performers as ** Stunt double for LeVar Burton ** Stunt double for Michael Dorn Stand-ins * James G. Becker - stand-in for Jonathan Frakes * Darrell Burris - stand-in for LeVar Burton * Dexter Clay - stand-in for Michael Dorn * Jeffrey Deacon - stand-in for Patrick Stewart * Susan Duchow - stand-in for Denise Crosby * Tim McCormack - stand-in for Brent Spiner * Lorine Mendell - stand-in for Gates McFadden * Richard Sarstedt - stand-in for John de Lancie * Guy Vardaman - stand-in for Wil Wheaton References 18th century; 1790; 20th century; Aldebaran serpent; amber; As You Like It; bayonet; cannon; Cargo Bay 6; Farpoint Station; force field; France; Hamlet; Hartley; Human history; Human philosophy; Klingon mating rituals; lemonade; Macbeth; marshal; methane; musket; Napoleon; penalty box; Q Continuum; Q (species); Quadra Sigma III; sex; Sigma III system; signal horn; Starbase G-6; tent; The Globe Illustrated Shakespeare: The Complete Works; turbolift control; William Shakespeare |next= }} cs:Hide and Q de:Rikers Versuchung es:Hide and Q fr:Hide and Q ja:TNG:死のゲーム nl:Hide and Q Category:TNG episodes